Stranger Than Fiction
by FreekyDisaster18
Summary: The team find a murdered teenage student in the bathroom to their school and Stuart places the scene. It soon seems to be that our murderer is into literature... And he's re-enacting the deaths, his own way.
1. Murder

**Authors Note**: _Okay. So I might have hit a wall with my other Taggart Fan Fiction but I don't plan on not writing it anymore but this is one idea that hit me suddenly and I just had to write it because I got all excited. I hope you all enjoy reading it._

* * *

The young female student controlled her breathing as she jogged around the empty school gym, her heartbeat racing as she hummed along to the music that was blasting through her earphones. She was training hard to participate in the Olympics that would be held in London in three years. It was her trainers dream for her to pick up gold for her, for him and for the United Kingdom.

She didn't have many friends because she was quite a loner and even more dedicated to her training than hanging out with girls or boys her age. After jogging around for the fiftieth time, she stopped and stretched before looking around her.

This gym had been her safety net for many years, her sanctuary when the world was cruel and the children of the school decided she was going to be the target of their pranks. She would come in here, change into her gym kit and just run. The world was hers when she ran and she didn't need anything or anyone else.

Sighing, she finished her stretches and moved into the shower rooms. Pulling her tee shirt over her head, she threw it down on the floor and she sighed as she looked in the mirror at her lack of breasts. This was another thing that the other female students that shared P.E with her would often tease her about. There was nothing there so she didn't even bother wearing a sports bra or anything. Sighing, she pulled down her shorts and plain cotton underwear before turning on the hot water and climbing underneath it.

The warm water washed over her sweaty skin and she picked up her bar of soap and started to lather it up, rubbing it over her skin. She felt so good as she washed herself but when the shower curtain was ripped open, she quickly turned round and screamed as someone pushed her head back against the marble walls. Her skull cracking and blood dripping down as she fell to the floor, water still running over her but they quickly turned that off. The police would need to see the blood. Evidence was a major part of their crime scene.

They quickly added the final touches to their scene before leaving without being seen. It wouldn't be long before...

There was another scream in the locker room and they smiled as they moved on.

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**Authors Note: **_You know the drill... If you like it, review. If you don't like it, review and tell me why. Ha kidding. But please do review :)_


	2. Surprising Discovery

**Authors Note**: _Thanks for the reviews._

**Disclaimer**_: I don't own the team but I do own the victim and obviously, our dear Ewan McIntyre._

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Stuart sighed as he sat down at his desk, his hand ragging through his hair as he thought of the argument he'd left at home with Ewan. It had been three months since their one night standard and their relationship had got stronger as each day past but last night it had all changed when Ewan got a phone call, excused himself and then suddenly left the apartment without even saying goodbye. He hadn't returned to the flat until this morning where Ewan had tried to apologise but Stuart had simply wanted an explanation to where he had gone. Ewan had replied that it was none of his business and that he should know better than to get involved being a detective. Stuart had just looked at him, his composure threatening to break as he'd looked at him so he'd just left his boyfriend's apartment before any arguments had started out. He'd ignored the cries of his name and had just left, getting into his car to go to work. And that's how he'd ended up sat at his desk with a face like a wet weekend.

He understood that he and Ewan had to have their own spaces but he just wished that his partner would no better than to dabble with things that could find him in a prison cell. Stuart was also thinking selfishly due to the fact, if his partner ended up in trouble with the police, Stuart's career could be seriously pushed.

There was a slight rap on the end of his table and he looked up at the warm, smiling face of Jackie Reid and couldn't help but smile at her. "Is everything okay Stuart?" She asked in her rich Scottish accent and Stuart shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the framed photo he had of him and Ewan.

"I don't even know anymore, Jackie." He whispered sighing as he looked over at her. "I think we've past that stage where everything is beautiful and new."

"You guys had an argument?" The mocking voice of Robbie Ross said from behind them and they both turned to look at him. "Awwh, come on. As if! You two were meant to be a good thing. I had faith in you two."

"Sarcasm doesn't really suit you, Robbie." Stuart fought back with little muster but he sighed as he raised his shoulder in a hug. "Maybe it's true that detectives can't have a happy relationship."

"Especially not if the partner is one of Glasgow's finest criminals."

"You know Ewan isn't that bad." Jackie fought in Stuart's defence against Robbie, her eyes narrowing into a glare. "Are you telling us every 'bird' you've screwed has been straight-laced?"

"This isn't about me! This is about Stuart." Robbie pointed out before rolling his eyes. "You guys whine I talk about myself all the time and then always turn the conversation on to me. Where's the fairness?"

"Oh grow up, Robbie." Stuart suddenly shouted, his hands clenching into fists as he rose from his chair and turned to glare at him. "You're on the wrong side of thirty and you just sleep about because you're afraid of commitment. I'm not ashamed of Ewan. I love him. I don't care about what trouble you believe he is because your opinion means squat."

Jackie and Robbie both stared at Stuart in surprise before starting to laugh. It was about time Stuart stood up to Robbie's bullying ways because he normally just let Robbie hit away. "Oh Stuart..." Jackie proudly muttered before wrapping her arms around him, giving him a motherly hug.

"Okay, enough playground shenanigans. There has been a murder." Burke's powerful voice cried out from his office and they all moved to grab their coats. As Robbie walked past Stuart, he clapped him on the back and winked.

"I'm sure you and lover boy will sort out your issues soon." He promised before moving over to climb into the car he was going to share with Jackie.

* * *

The detectives were met at the front of the school by a nervous looking woman. She smiled as she approached them and introduced herself as Mrs Dean, the headmistress of the school. The woman was mumbling about how it was most odd what had been found. Never had it happened before in this school and she was worrying about the school credibility going down due to media coverage.

Burke was starting to get impatient because he always had the urge to throttle selfish people like Mrs Dean. They never seemed to realise that a person's life has been unlawfully taken; they just worry about their problems. It was obvious a student had been murdered and the headmistress should have been worrying about the parents but instead she was worrying about her career.

"Mrs Dean, can you please lead the way?"

"What... Oh yes, of course." She blustered leading them up the stone steps before leading them down corridors. Robbie found himself thinking how long it had been since he'd actually found himself getting lost in a school building. He hadn't even attended this school!

They entered the gym and were met by a new teacher, introduced as Mrs Jones. "I'll take it from here, Mrs Dean." She assured the older woman before leading the officers into the changing rooms. "Her name is Melissa Underwood. She has no friends. She lives to train for the 2012 Olympics because her private trainer but her on some ridiculous training cycle."

The team stopped dead in their tracks as they saw the pretty young girl lying in the shower cubicle, her menstrual blood lying on the marbled floor. Tampons and sanitary towels lay on the floor around her, unused. Stuart then looked over at his boss. "It's exactly like the scene from Carrie." He whispered not sure of what to actually make of it.

"The Stephen King story?" Jackie voiced, seeking clarification.

"Yes, that's the one. Carrie is seen as an outcast and at the start of her book she starts her menstrual cycle and the other girls attack her with tampons and sanitary towels just for the sake of it. Her mother was a big religious nut."

"That's the first hint. Robbie find out about her parentage. Stuart..."

"Boss..." Stuart commented picking up the backpack that had been left open on the side. Inside was a copy of Stephen King's Carrie. "It's a libraries copy."

"I think it's too clean she has it in her bag. Go to the library and see who took it out. Robbie, go with him." The two guys took hold of the book and left the school.

Jackie sighed as she looked at the young girl. "How humiliating did he have to make it?"

"Well killers never really did care, did they?" Burke commented before turning to Jackie. "Talk to the girl who found her. See if she saw anything."


	3. Emotions and A Weird Coincidence

**Authors Note: **_Sorry about the wait. I've been on holiday. However I am back and dedicated to finishing off my two stories that I have going on here. Hope you enjoy!_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own any of the Taggart team. I also don't own the works of Stephen King's Carrie. The critical comments are not meant bitchily. Just to add to the story. Stephen King is an amazing writer and everyone should read him. _

_

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_

The young girl sat back against the wall, tears falling down her cheeks as she closed her eyes but then quickly reopened them because she could still see Melissa lying there. She was being comforted by the youngest PE teacher, Miss Sampson, but all she wanted really was for Melissa to sit up and laugh about it all being a bad joke.

"Tiffany?" A voice asked and she looked up at a woman that she hadn't seen around the school before so she immediately assumed that this was probably one of the detectives. "I'm Detective Sergeant Jackie Reid. I was wondering if you could tell me what you saw."

Looking over at the woman, she shook her head. "I didn't see anything, Detective. I was just walking in here to look for Melissa because even though we're not close friends, we do have English together next and there was no one else to walk with but I knew she'd be in here. She spends every dinner hour in here and then every evening after school before going home, having a bite to eat and then jogging around her estate with her trainer."

"You didn't see anyone leave the shower room?"

"No. It would have struck me because no one but Melissa is allowed in the gym during hours. If they'd have known previously that I was coming into meet her, I'd have been getting me and Melissa into some serious trouble. I just walked in and saw her sat in the showers surrounded by..." She stopped talking before laughing. "You would never believe that I was a female. I get so embarrassed."

"It's okay, Tiffany. You've told us everything we need to know. If you think of anything else," She hesitated as she searched through her pockets and pulled out a card, "phone me on this number. Just ask for DS Reid."

The young girl nodded before turning to her teacher, "Please may I be excused from afternoon school?"

"Your parents have already been rung and are on their way to pick you up." Miss Sampson supplied as an answer before standing and smiling at Jackie, Tiffany seeing this as the right time to leave. "It's a shocking business. She was going to go far."

"Melissa?"

"Yes. She was an amazing runner and everyone was in awe when you watched her. She made it look so graceful and ladylike. Most women look absolutely revolting when running but she looked beautiful and it also appeared effortless." Miss Sampson laughed before shaking her head. "I sound completely envious of a teenage girl."

"I'm sure you obviously had dreams of being famous in sports when you were growing up."

"I was going to play football for the Scotland women's team. I told everyone that but here I am just teaching girls PE." The woman simply sighed before walking away. Jackie watched after her wondering what envy could do to a person especially people who live on adrenaline and the mental drive. Taking down the woman's name, she made a mental note to talk to the Boss about her later.

* * *

Robbie sighed as he trudged up the staircase to the library that he'd been told to go to by the headmistress. Stuart was ahead of him and turned round to look at him with a laughing smile warming up his face. "Come on, old boy!" He teased before reaching the top of the stairs and starting into the room as he walked into the library. Standing at the door, he waited for Robbie to finally catch up with him before raising his eyebrows.

"It's been years since I've had to climb so many damned stairs!" He excused himself at Stuart's glance before smiling. "I'm now thinking about going to a gym."

"There'll be girls there in tracksuits."

"You see that's not really appealing. You realise the birds in a gym are all sweaty, right?" He commented laughing before moving towards the librarian's desk and flashing the woman stood there his signature grin. One glance and she was already his. "Are you the librarian?"

"Yes. How may I help you?" She smiled at him and there was a few moments of silence before Stuart finally jumped in.

"We're investigating into the murder that's happened down in the..."

"Shush." The librarian quickly sounded looking around before turning back to the two detectives. "The headmistress has asked all staff to keep it in under wraps so as not to distress the other students of the school. It is understandable that they will hear about it through rumours but she is going to hold a memorial tomorrow." She sighed. "However I can't see how I can help you?"

"This library book was found among her belongings and we were wondering if you could tell us who took it out." Robbie drawled handing over the book that Stuart had just been holding. Stuart rolled his eyes before leaning against the counter because he knew he couldn't do much now that Robbie had taken over.

"Stephen King isn't kept here." She simply said before looking up at Robbie. "The headmistress thinks it's a little too heavy for our students. You'll be looking to find many horror or crime books in here hence why this place is so empty because it's all teenagers want to read or watch these days." She smiled at them both before opening the front cover and tapping the page. "Here you go. It's from the central library. You might want to head over there and ask them the question."

***

Robbie climbed out of the car and looked over at Stuart. "I can't believe we're wasting our time chasing about some stupid library book." He grumbled as he moved inside.

"How do you know it won't be a vital piece of evidence?"

"Why would the killer be so stupid to leave a library book in the bag of his victim when he knows we'll be able to track him down using it?"

Stuart considered what Robbie had said and realised that his partner was right. No criminal was going to leave a book they'd checked out in their own name in the bag of a murder victim. You might as well just hand yourself in to the police right away. There was no thrill of chase then.

Stepping inside to the library, Robbie took the book off Stuart again and threw it down on the desk in front of the guy that was on duty today. "We need to know who took this book out."

"I don't think we're allowed to do..." The man stopped talking as he watched them both flash their badges and he simply raised his eyebrows. "When did the police start bothering about overdue library books?" He questioned as he opened the cover and saw that the last date stamped was five months ago.

"We don't." Robbie replied gruffly before leaning against the counter. "Tell us who has it out."

The machine beeped and the man shook his head. "No one has it out to their name. It's probably another one of the books that's been accidentally carried out of here without being stamped. You'll be surprised at how many library books go missing a year, officer."

"Detective." Robbie quickly corrected before biting his lip. "So the last person to have it brought it back." The man pressed a few more buttons and nodded as he looked at him. "She brought it back earlier."

"Can you at least give us her name?"

"Two seconds..." He pressed a few more keys on his board before smiling. "Melissa Underwood." Robbie straightened as he looked over at Stuart. The last person to take out the book was indeed the victim.

"Thank you." They simply commented before watching him walk away with the book. "Excuse me, we need that back." Robbie said holding out his hand for the book. The librarian simply looked confused before handing it over.

"You realise you should actually stamp it out?"

"You realise you've just tampered with evidence to a murder case?" Robbie sarcastically commented back before putting the book in his pocket and leaving the library, grumbling about eejits that always got in their way.

"What are the chances that Melissa would be the last person to legally take the book out?" Robbie asked as the two detectives climbed back into the car, Robbie's hand tightening on the steering wheel.

"It's just simply too neat." Stuart responded before sighing. "Looks like we'd best go tell the boss."

* * *

Jackie and Matt pulled up at the large house and stared up in admiration. They'd decided to come talk to Mr and Mrs Underwood due to the fact that the school had rang to tell them instead of bringing them in. Knocking on the door, Jackie turned to look at her boss. "This is the worst thing."

"What?"

"Having to tell the mother of a teenager that their child has been found dead."

"Well we don't technically need to tell them that... They already know." He squeezed her arm gently before looking at the woman that had just opened the door. "Mrs Underwood?"

"Please don't call me that. I got rid of that name the minute I got rid of my cheating scumbag of a husband." The woman was talking so brightly Jackie couldn't help but bite the inside of her cheek. "Seriously darling, you wouldn't judge me after what I went through with my husband. I hired that receptionist for him because next to me she was so..." The woman stopped talking as she flicked the blonde hair over her shoulder. "However he still has a huge love for our Melissa. She makes him proud." She shook her head. "So how may I help you? I warn you if you're selling anything or are Jehovah's then I'm quite good when it comes to using a firearm."

"We're the detectives investigating your daughter's murder, Miss..."

There was a moment of silence before the woman started to laugh. "You're having a laugh? Melissa is at school. She's due home in a couple of hours. You can come back and see her then."

"Miss, the school said they rang you and your husband to tell you that she had been found dead in the school showers?"

"I have no husband..." She whispered in a soft voice before looking at Burke. "They'll have rung her father because they couldn't get in touch with me; I've just got in from work you see. You've actually caught me on my lunch hour. How dare they ring her father! I've always told them that anything concerning Melissa should be sent straight to me."

"Miss..." He stopped hoping that she'd eventually fill him in of her surname.

"Please just call me Miranda." She moved into the living room and started to thumb through her diary. "I can't believe Marvin didn't ring me!"

"Miranda, did you not understand what we told you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"This visit isn't simply over a forgotten permission slip or something. Your daughter has been murdered." The woman froze as she looked over at them, her head shaking.

"What?"

"Melissa was found murdered in the school showers."

"Who would want to hurt my baby?" She whispered falling down onto the couch, the diary crashing to the floor as she shook her head. "She wasn't popular, didn't make enemies and never hurt anyone."

"Miranda, we understand that this is a shock to you but we'll need to ask your permission to search her room for any evidence or hints to why she might have been killed."

"Of course." She looked down at her watch. "However I need to get back to work. Could we re-arrange this for some time when I'm free?" Without even waiting for an answer she'd already ushered them out of the living room. Jackie handed her a card.

"Ring us when you're free."

"Yes, of course." She gushed before locking the front door and leaving. Jackie exchanged glances with Burke.

"People do react differently to this kind of news, Jackie."

"I know but her only child has just been murdered. You'd think she'd have showed a little more emotion..."

"Come on. Let's get back to the office."

* * *

"You mean the book was last legally taken out of the library by Melissa Underwood?" Burke demanded as he rubbed his hand over his tired face. That was too much of a coincidence. "The killer is leaving a very definite message there and I don't think I like it."

"Melissa is nothing like the character of Carrie so it has to be about the literature itself."

"The killer stating that the literature is the wrong type for such an innocent mind to be reading."

"There is nothing really grotesque about Stephen King's work." Stuart lectured Robbie on. "Sure his lexis can be a little deep and there can be one too many swear words in his decision, he clearly doesn't have a grasp on how children actually speak but apart from that it's old stuff. Who finds the idea of a girl with powers scary now-a-days when you have films like Saw on the market?"

"Touché." Robbie commented sitting up and nibbling on his pencil as he considered the options. "The killer could have been stalking the vic."

"But why kill her?"

"Are there any signs of sexual activity?" Jackie asked making the three guys suddenly look around at her. She'd been so quiet; they'd forgotten that she was actually in the room.

"I don't think so. We'll need to get that out of the ME notes when he..." Burke stopped talking as his phone rang. "rings." He said before answering and pointing at them with a subtle hint that they needed to go down to autopsy.


	4. Public Bathrooms

**Authors Note: I suck at keeping up with things :/ but hey ho, I'm back with a new chapter and like said in Silent Night, I do plan on trying to finish these stories before the next millenium (Y) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Taggart, Buchanan Galleries or Karin Slaughter or Val McDermid or Mills and Boons. I don't think I actually own a lot of this chapter *laughs***

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The hands trembled as the beady blue eyes watched the young woman bustle through the crowds outside the Buchanan Galleries. They'd just watched her tiny little fingers move down the thick spines of some of the best works in the world but there heart had sunk as they'd fallen for a thriller book by Karin Slaughter. They too had read the book that her little hands had finally decided on.

_Blindsighted_.

It was a simple book full of twists and turns, gruesome murders and miserable detectives who had nothing to do but work. Karin Slaughter was one of America's most gruesome writers she was on par with the wonderful works of Scotland's own, Val McDermid.

There needed to be age limits on these kinds of books as well as gender. A pretty young woman such as her should be reading Mills and Boons where a ditzy woman falls madly in love with a strong man that whisks them away in to their happy ever after. Fairytales were created for women like her, yet she desires to read big books about murder, sex pests and deception.

They watched as she slipped into some toilets probably desperate to relieve herself of bodily fluids before checking up on her make-up because they'd watched her dab at her lips several times now with her fingers before pulling an exasperated expression. Lipstick isn't as good as it used to be.

***

The woman sat down on the toilet and finished doing her business before noticing that a pair of feet had stopped outside her toilet door. She didn't think anything of it but was sure that there had been other spare toilet cubicles when she'd entered. The person was wearing scabby green all stars and she could see that the toe part was starting to wear free. She assumed it was probably just a homeless tramp trying to find warmth and shelter because it had looked outside if a heavy storm was about to start falling.

That's when she heard scraping at the door as if they were using a penny to turn the lock. She used her foot to keep the door closed, "Hey! I'm in here!" She protested angrily wondering what the hell was going off.

The door flew open and she screamed before staring at them straight in the eyes. For the first time in her life, she felt fear. The kind of fear they wrote about in the books she read. Swallowing past a lump in her throat, she tried to stand up with her trousers still around her ankles. They just coldly laughed and pushed her back down.

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**Authors Note: So this one is short and sweet but it is the point of a murder scene. The next chapter will be longer and bigger. This is more a filler :D**


	5. Coincidences

**AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry about delay in posting and reviewing. My fanfiction has been down but I have no idea why :( but Lee couldn't get on hers either so I'm praying it might have just been fanfiction rather than Phoenix (my laptop) AND then it was my eighteenth yesterday so there were a lot of celebrations. In the wake of my hangover I have worked on this so that is my excuse for the sloppy work. Sorry. But please do read and review like always!!**

*******

Stepping into the autopsy room, Robbie smiled as he spied Gemma stepping out of her office wearing her very unflattering blue overalls. She smiled at Burke as she gave him the notes that she had already made. "As you can tell the main damage was the blow to the back of the head." She indicated showing him before shrugging her shoulders. "Your killer was pretty strong because he managed to knock her out with one strong blow to the head." She indicated before looking over at Burke.

"Is that all you can tell us?"

"What else do you want?" She asked back knowing that when Burke interrupted her, there was something in his mind because he normally just let her speak. He wasn't like Robbie who just darted off whenever he wanted to speak.

"Are there any indications towards sexual assault?" Jackie asked Gemma as she took the notes of Burke and flicked through.

"Yes." Gemma replied before moving to the lower abdominable area of the young woman's body. She wasn't surprised when Burke, Stuart and Robbie moved towards her head and Jackie followed her down. Even as detectives, they still liked to give the victims a tiny part of respect especially seeing as she was so young. "There is bruising around her legs and on her hips showing signs of how brutal and heavy the game on to her." Gemma pointed out to Jackie before looking over at them all. "Also the blood you found pooling around her in the shower cubicle wasn't menstrual blood."

Jackie bit back laughter as the three men went pale before turning back to Gemma, "How do you know?"

"Our victim was pregnant meaning she doesn't have her monthly cycle at the moment." Gemma commented before nodding, "but the clock method indicates that there was definitely sexual assault."

"The victim is pregnant?" Burke suddenly voiced looking round the others. "Well no one mentioned a boyfriend."

"What they did mention was not enough time to have a social life because of how much she trained to be a runner." Jackie clarified before turning to look at Gemma. "Any chance we can get paternity results?" She asked her before watching as Gemma nodded.

"However from how early in the stage is I really can't promise anything but I do promise to try my best."

"Thanks." Jackie muttered before looking up at Burke as his mobile started to ring. He apologised before moving away and answering the call. He came back over and looked at his team.

"We have another murder. Grab your stuff, Gemma. I've been told you're in for a treat." He grumbled meaning that it was one hell of a scene.

***

The first thing they noticed was the amount of blood that had spilled out of the toilet cubicle. Jackie looked on in horror as she watched Gemma stand staring emptily at the crime scene. There was no point dusting for fingerprints because nearly every woman in Glasgow had probably touched this toilet door at least once. Gemma pulled out her camera and took a photo of the slumped woman.

Her head had dropped to her shoulder, her stomach sliced open and her underwear at her ankles. It had been obvious that the toilet had been blocked up with something and then flushed to give the blood effect on the floor. "There is bruising already forming around her mouth as if your killer tried to keep her silent so he could have suffocated her but I think your main C.O.D is the deep cuts to the abdomen. I'll obviously need to take her back to the lab to see if she was sexually assaulted."

Two men then came in and pulled the victim down on the floor into a body bag before hoisting her up onto a trolley. Once she was wheeled out, Jackie took hold of one of Gemma's long length gloves and pulled it on before putting her hand into the blocked toilet. This was once what you would get a probie to do but she tugged and eventually pulled out what she was looking for.

In a plastic bag was a book.

***

"What have you got Stuart?"

"The first few pages actually talk about the murder scene that was unravelled in front of us. Do you think the killer is studying an English kind of class in the university?"

"I don't think these are the types of books they study." Jackie commented. "I think you do classics like Wuthering Heights or even poems by Robbie Burns."

"What do we have on our victim?" Burke asked as he walked in holding a cup of coffee staring at the whiteboard, his stomach turning at the photos that had recently been tacked up.

"From the ID in her purse we have managed to work that her name is Maria Jenkins. She is twenty seven. She works at one of the shops in Buchanan and she was engaged." Jackie filled in before shaking her head. "We haven't managed to work out who the fiancé is yet due to lack of information or loving texts in her mobile."

"Or the fact that her phone is filled with loving messages but from more than one guy." Robbie grumbled to himself as he slung the phone down on the table and peeled off the see through gloves. "I don't understand how someone can do that."

"You do that." Jackie pointed out before turning back to where she had been originally looking at the whiteboard.

"Okay, I'll rephrase. I don't know how women can behave like that. I thought women wanted the one and only?" He taunted knowing that would rile Jackie up.

"You sexist bastard..." She started but silenced as Burke ordered them to shut up because there were more pressing things at hand such as the mobile on the table now starting to ring.

"Answer it Stuart." Burke ordered before watching as Stuart put the phone to his ear and answered. He explained that the woman had been found dead and that we'd want him to come in the station. "Fiance?"

"Brother. He states her fiancé ran away with another woman three months ago but she refuses to take the engagement ring off hence all the other messages in her inbox."

"Well now we need to work out how Maria and Melissa know each other or what they have in common..."

"...apart from reading horror books." Stuart filled in and was silenced as Gemma rushed in crying, "She was pregnant." The rest of the team looked at each other and Jackie sat down in her chair before looking over at the others.

"That's a rather big coincidence." She commented turning to look at Burke who nodded his agreement with her statement.

"Gemma, I'll want a pa..."

"Already sent it down to forensics." She commented leaving and Burke turned to look at his team the minute she left.

"I want this fiancé hunting down and someone to talk to him. He could be the father to the child. I also want someone to go talk to Melissa's parents again. Someone needs to know who she was seeing or who she apparently wasn't seeing."

"I'll go talk to Miranda." Jackie mumbled standing up.

"Good idea." Burke commented knowing that Jackie was more compassionate. "Stuart I want you to ring Miss Jenkin's brother back and ask to meet him. Robbie I want you to go down to forensics and make sure they speed up their work. The quicker the better."

"Yes boss." They all chorused and Burke couldn't help but smile as they walked away, Jackie obviously getting annoyed at something Robbie was saying from the way her shoulders stiffened and Stuart just chuckled to himself.


	6. Several Interviews

**AUTHORS NOTE: Here I am with a short authors note and a whole new chapter. I do hope you enjoy :)**

*******

Stuart climbed out of the car and headed into the small cafe where he had arranged to meet the second victim's brother. He scanned the room casually before allowing his eyes to rest on someone that was sat alone, his hands fidgeting and his body froze as he watched Stuart walk into the small cafe. Even when you're not under arrest, you still panic when you know the police are coming to talk to you. It's just conditioned into you that when the police are involved it's not good.

"Mr Jenkins?" Stuart asked as he moved over to the table. The man had picked a far corner, away from the rest of the cafe but near enough to dive into the toilets if it got too much. This guy had obviously something to hide or had watched too many crummy detective programmes on the television. Stuart suspected it was the latter option.

"Who is asking?" Stuart couldn't help but laugh at how difficult the man was being as he produced his badge and flashed it to the guy before taking a seat. "Are you the detective who spoke to me on the phone then?"

"That's right. I am."

"Odd. I assumed you'd be a lot older." Stuart looked over at the man and smiled before realising that Mr Jenkins was a lot older than his sister and he took out his notepad as he looked over at the guy.

"You look older than your sister, Mr Jenkins."

"That's correct. There are twenty years between us. Her mother married my father when I was twenty and the young girl had just been born by her father who had been murdered by some drug dealer." The guy waved his hands in the air as if trying to bat away the comment. "That's not important though. Even with the age difference, Maria and I were close especially when she hit the late teens but that was probably because her parents died and I'm the one that kind of raised her."

"What could you tell us about her fiancé?"

"Maria fell in love very easily. I've lost count of how many times she's came in and told me that she'd met the one then this one time she walked in and said he was the one she was going to marry . She showed me this large, expensive diamond ring on her wedding finger. I've never been so scared for my sister in my life!" He took a swig of his coffee and looked down at his hands; Stuart took his time to take a look. There was no cuts or scrapes on the knuckles. "My wife had helped her organise the wedding. She had everything sorted and then the night before it was all supposed to take place, she went home and found a simple letter resting on the hall table. She'd been left a dear john simply explaining that he loved his secretary and he was sorry for hurting her. I could have killed Damien at that moment."

Stuart ignored the angry comment and looked at Mr Jenkins, "This was three months ago but she still insists on wearing the engagement ring?"

"I don't think Maria was ready to accept that it was over because she really did love him."

"Do you know where he and his secretary went to?"

"I'm sure they just moved to a smaller village somewhere but I have his number because I know she deleted it so that she wouldn't have the temptation to ring him again."

"Thank you." Stuart commented watching as the man handed over his phone so that Stuart could record the number as he went to close down to the main menu, he smiled at the two girls on the screen. "Are they your daughters?"

"They're my step daughters. My wife is a widow. It was weird. He went to Iraq in 1990 and survived, came home and caught the flu and it simply finished him off." He looked down at the photo and smiled with fatherly love as he pointed to one of the girls. "The oldest one is about twenty one and the second one is seventeen, I think." He laughed at his absentmindedness before turning to look at Stuart. "I'm proud of them as if they were my own and they always treated Maria more like a friend than an auntie because she was too young and cool to be an auntie they all said." There was a fond note in his voice as he stood up and shook Stuart's hand.

"Thank you for meeting me. I'm sure if we find anything out, we'll ring you." Stuart went through his pockets and handed him a card. "If you think of anything useful then please ring me on this number."

"I shall." Mr Jenkins said pocketing the card and was about to leave when Stuart took hold of his arm.

"I have one more question for you."

"Well ask away, detective."

"Did you know a Melissa Underwood?"

There was a moment of pause so that the man could search through his memory but then eventually he smiled and nodded. "She's in the same year as my youngest. Carina says she is really going to be something one day with her running. She's apparently going for the Olympics."

"Was your daughter friends with Melissa?"

"No. She always said that Melissa only ever had time for running and her trainer." He looked over at Stuart. "Carina says her trainer is rather hot." He rolled his eyes before chuckling. "The simple mind of teenage daughters, aye?"

Stuart just agreed but decided that the trainer definitely needed talking to. "Thank you, Mr Jenkins." He said before leaving and taking out his mobile to ring Burke.

*******

Jackie stepped up to the front door and took a deep breath, hoping to pick up the nerve to knock on the front door. This was definitely a moment of her job she hated. She hated telling parents that their child was dead but could you imagine telling the parents their child was dead with an unborn child that they probably didn't know about? It was hell and you always found that the parents took their anger out on the detective telling them. Jackie had opted herself because she was a lot more patient and calmer than her three peers. She took one final deep breath before raising her fist and knocking on the door.

She was taken aback when a guy answered the door but she also recognised him from the photos that had been on the wall. His brown hair flopped into his piercing blue eyes, his smile missed laughter lines and his clothes looked expensive but not pretty. The guy stood in front of her was Melissa's father. His eyes were puffy from tears and she simply held out her badge. "I'm Detective Reid. I'm one of the detectives working on your daughter's case."

"You'll be here for Miranda then?"

"No. I'm happy to talk to the both of you. Is Miranda in?" The man simply nodded before opening the door wider so that she could come in and he lead her through to the living room. She smiled sympathetically at Miranda, who finally looked as if she'd let emotion to take over, before sitting down in one of the chairs and watching as Marvin Underwood sat down next to his ex-wife and took hold of her hands.

"What do you want, Detective?" Miranda whispered, her voice hoarse from how many tears she'd spent.

"Did Melissa have a boyfriend?" She asked knowing that being blunt wasn't going to help matters here so she'd gently seduce them into her understanding.

"No." The parents both said at the same time with the same angry force. They looked at each other before Miranda sighed and turned to look at Jackie. She continued alone, "Melissa didn't have time for boyfriends. She had her running to concentrate on and we've already mentioned that she struggled to have a social life with the heavy training pattern she had but she never complained because being a champion was something she wanted too." The way Miranda made it appear to Jackie as if it was off a script, as if she'd said it many times to other people who must have said that it wasn't the right kind of life for a young sixteen year old girl.

"Does your daughter keep a diary?" She asked them and Miranda nodded.

"She's always scribbling in it but she mainly keeps it for writing what she has eaten and how many miles she's eaten." Jackie bit back the urge to laugh at the fact they thought Melissa was living the happy life of a teenager but simply looked down at her notebook.

"If it is okay with you, I'd need the diary for me or one of the other detectives to read through and see if it can give us a lead?" Miranda nodded before smiling at the detective. "Why are you asking if Melissa had a boyfriend, detective? Did you think it could have been a boyfriend or someone who did this to our little girl?"

Jackie looked over at the woman and took another deep breath before nodding. "Our forensic report has shown us that Melissa was several weeks pregnant and we were..."

"I beg your pardon?" Marvin suddenly voiced up making Jackie jump because he'd been quiet the whole way through the interview apart from their moment of unison at the beginning.

"Your daughter was pregnant but our forensic scientist doubts it was long enough to actually be able to call paternity on."

"Your forensic scientist is wrong. Our daughter couldn't have been pregnant. She never had time to see anyone but us and her trainer. You should ask for a re-test or something."

"Mr Underwood, there is no point because we have a second victim and she too was in the early stages of being pregnant. The coincidence is too much to miss." Jackie explained before standing up and pulling out a card before handing it over to them. "I understand this isn't something you wanted to hear or expected but if there is anything you could tell us that would be useful."

Miranda stood up and looked over at Jackie, "I can't see why she didn't tell us, Detective. I wouldn't have been angry. Hell, I was young when I had her but if she'd have talked to me, we could have probably fixed this." Jackie guessed she knew what 'fixing it' meant and she didn't want to comment because she knew her opinion would cloud rationality.

"Your daughter might not have known." Jackie's tone was convincing and it seemed to make Miranda's mind settle because Miranda allowed a small smile through her tears before nodding her head.

"I'll go upstairs and get her diary."

"Thank you." Jackie suddenly remembered the most important question. "Wait." She called watching as Miranda stopped at the door and turned to look back at her. "Do you know a Maria Jenkins?"

Miranda smiled, "She's a lovely woman. We're a part of the same book group."

"Book group?" Jackie asked looking over at her and then Miranda nodded.

"She comes along with her brother. This month we're reading books my _Karin Slaughter_ because she's the best grizzly writer of America and that's one thing we all have in common in the group. We're not big classic fans." Miranda said before staring up the stairs again and Jackie quickly scribbled that down in her notebook.

*******

Robbie typed the name 'Damien Lewis' into their database and sat with his hand under his chin as he waited for the software to show up his name. His eyes widened as he read what came up and realised that the young man had been lying to his fiancée all along. He quickly rang Burke to fill him in before leaving the office.

He showed his badge to the guard at the gate and moved into the small cell. He leant against the wall and looked at the handsome man that sat before him. He had to admit he could see Maria Jenkins and him together. "You told your partner that you had run away with your secretary."

"I didn't want her to know that I was being locked away for a couple of years because of a very serious drug offence." Robbie went to ask a question and as if sensing what his question was, Damien shook his head. "Maria didn't read papers and my case wasn't big enough for my name to ever be in the news or printed in paper and besides, I have money to make sure that didn't happen."

Robbie leant his elbows on the table as he looked over at the guy, "Maria is expecting your baby."

"Oh god, what am I going to do?"

"You can't do anything now." Robbie simply commented and stared at the man's confusion before nodding. "She was murdered in the early hours of this morning. We'd have come to tell you earlier but you see you were hard to find."

"You can't really think I did it, can you?"

Robbie's look was droll as his lips pursed; the temptation to smack this guy about was getting higher every minute. "No. I'm afraid you have a strong alibi but how many enemies do you have in the world?"

"I don't have many due to the fact I pay my dealers there and then and I'm not one to shout about that I take drugs. It's more a leisure thing for me."

"Did your fiancée have any enemies?"

"Oh hell no, Maria was too caring and quiet to have enemies. Her life consisted around me, work and the book club that she ran with her brother."

"She ran a book club?"

"Yes. It was aimed at people who prefer horror and crime thrillers than the everyday classic. I always said that she should settle with Jane Eyre or something but Maria had a real fascination with the crime books. She was actually working on her own crime thriller."

"Did she ever let you read it?"

"No but she did tell me about what she'd written." Damien said and then relaised that Robbie actually meant he was to tell him. "The killer would take well known scenes from famous books and re-enact them but make them either murder or just the same."

Robbie's jaw dropped, "Like the scene in_ Carrie_?"

"That was her first scene, yes. I told her she'd have to get permission first but she just laughed because she knew that it would enver leave the study and she'd have no need to publish it because she didn't think she could write."

"Who knew about this book?"

"Me, her and most of the book club because together they helped her write it and they selected scenes from the books that they'd read."

Robbie considered the information that he'd just learnt and looked over at Damien, "Your fiancée was murdered in the style of a Karin Slaughter book. Was that in her book?"

"That was murder two."

"How many murders did your fiancée write?"

"She wanted it to be nitty so she wrote several. I think the last time I recalled her telling me the murders there was seven." Robbie cursed under his breath before standing up and looking over at him.

"Last question, did you know a Melissa Underwood?"

"Not personally but I am friends with her trainer, Jeremy Flint. Why?"

"Her murder was like _Carrie's_ opening scene."

***

The four detectives gathered back in the office and sighed as they looked at each other. It was weird that they all knew each other either personally or through someone else. They looked at the web they'd drawn on a spare whiteboard and Burke turned to look at Robbie, "Lewis said there were several murders written?"

"Yes but I can't see how these victims are being killed because it appears that Melissa and Maria never actually met only the family members did." He sighed as he sat on the corner of Jackie's desk, his hand rubbing at his unshaven chin.

"We need to check all the members of the book club out. See if anymore are pregnant. Okay?"

"They're meeting is tomorrow." Jackie filled in. "Miranda assured me that they wouldn't stop just because Maria had been killed. It just means someone else has to take over writing their book."

"Wow and they say empathy is dead." Stuart commented before looking at the board. "So we still have no lead?"

"No lead." Burke agreed and looked at them. "It's late. Go home and have a few hours but back here for seven and we'll have another look on fresh minds."

"Yes boss." They all chorused before grabbing their coats and leaving.


	7. Watery Deaths

**AUTHORS NOTE: Another short scene because once again, it's a murder scene. Yeah. I'm killing a lot of people in this story. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Taggart or Broken Angels by Richard Montanari and I'm still undecided if this is his book or not (I've read one too many). If it isn't, I'll correct that on a later date XD**

*******

The tears fell down the girl's cheeks as she ran down the marsh heading towards the old crickety bridge. Another argument too many with her stepfather had lead her here. She came here all the time, it was beautiful and she knew better than to think that he wouldn't come looking for her here but she still needed them few moments alone to gather her thoughts.

The argument was so expected to happen but the glowing handprint on her right cheek indicated to how it was going down. She'd believed that her stepfather would understand because he had treated her like a father but he'd just called her names and then went off on one. Mother hadn't even managed to have a say. She'd looked at her with that obvious look of apology but had then just turned away when he'd growled at her to get out of his face before she got more than a slap. She'd fled and that was how she'd ending up here.

Sitting down against the wall, her hand ran through her hair as she watched the full moon flutter in the slow current of the river. Her hand trembled as she lightly rested it against her abdomen. How could her parents turf her out when she'd said that the father had told her it was over? That had angered her father more. She'd trusted a man enough to give herself willingly to him but then had suffered because he'd got her pregnant and then had just walked away as if she had never mattered to him.

A rustling sound happened beside her and she looked around her. Her heartbeat raced as she closed her eyes, a trick that her father had taught her when he was still alive. He had been blind and she'd always wondered why he'd heard her coming. "You understand that my other senses waken because of my blindness?" He'd explained poking her nose gently before holding her close to him. She missed him since his death but she did adore her new stepfather, when he was nice to her.

She'd started to settle again when a pair of hands wrapped around her throat, warm breath tickling her cheek. "Goodnight." The voice drawled before the grip got tighter.

*******

The woman whistled for her dog, her hand holding the empty leash as she watched him approach the old bridge and get too near to the edge. She had waded into the water one too many times for that dog and she wasn't about to do it again. "Raffles!" She shouted once more before groaning and following him down. She stopped and started to scream.

The young girl was dressed in olden day robes, her neck bruised and her eyes open wide, her lips slightly parted as if she had been screaming when it happened. She stepped away, her hands trembling as she pulled out her mobile to phone the police.

*******

"Is this our killer, Jemma?" Burke asked as he climbed through the marsh water, his nose wrinkling as he felt his feet squelch inside the leather. Robbie also wore the same expression but also worried about his expensive, labelled pants.

"I'm afraid so, Burke." She handed him a plastic envelope only containing the front cover of a book and Burke offered it out to the team to see if anyone had read it but each one of them shook their heads.

"Find out if that's on the book clubs reading criteria." He said before moving towards Gemma and looking at the girl. "What can you tell me?"

"She's been strangled and badly mutilated."

"Can you tell me how long?"

"I'm afraid I can't, Matt. She's been in ice cold water most of the night." She explained before nodding. "I'll take her back to autopsy and let you know what I find."

"Thanks Gemma." Burke said turning to the team and sighing. "Right, we need and ID and to know what she has to do with our previous victims."

"Yes boss."

*******

**AUTHORS NOTE: I did warn it was short. Sorry.**


	8. An Older Boyfriend

**AUTHORS NOTE: I would like to point out I was right about the book in the last chapter. Good times. I have an idea of where point B is but how to get there... I have no idea so bear with me :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Taggart...**

*******

The book was pretty much the worst one yet and due to how the three stories differed in storyline it had been highlighted as obvious that wasn't the reason the girls were being killed. It wasn't someone worshipping the work of their heroes. That kind of killer tended to stick to one author to keep it simple for them. This killer was attacking these women for different reasons. "What do we know about these girls?" Burke's voice thundered as he stepped out of his office after having a phone call from the boss. They'd all guessed that there was heat on this case now that there was another young girl murdered.

"Her name is Keri and her mother reported her missing this morning in the early hours after she'd stormed out of the house after an argument with the stepfather." Jackie filled in holding up a missing person's report that had been obviously just filled in to keep the hysterical mother happy. The photo hadn't even been taken out of the envelope!

"Do we know what the argument was about?" Burke probed deeper as he took the envelope off of Jackie and opened it. Sure enough the smiling girl in the school photo was indeed the young girl they now had lying on the autopsy table.

"She was pregnant," said a feeble voice behind them and everyone turned to look round at a small brunette woman who was the older version of the young girl in the photo. She approached Burke and took hold of the photo. "This photo is less than a month old you know. She was best friends with Melissa but they didn't broadcast it because Keri is a popular girl in the high school, if she'd have been caught hanging out with Melissa..." She stopped talking before looking at Burke. "It sure as hell is a cold world our kids have to live in."

"I'll take your word for that, Mrs..."

"Travers." She responded hoarsely before shaking her head. "I can't believe we didn't chase after her but Michael, my husband, assured me that she'd come home after they'd both calmed down and I agreed that was for the best because Michael was so angry. She'd fallen under the charms of an older man and had wound up pregnant..."

Burke's head shot up at the sound of the door opened and Gemma looked at the woman who was talking, "You just gave them the piece of information I was going to tell them."

"Gemma, this is the victim's mother." Burke took the autopsy report off of Gemma so that he could hand it to Stuart who had quickly read the book for them and then looked at Mrs Travers. "Are you okay to identify the body now?" She nodded nervously and Gemma took the woman into her arms, assuring her that everything would be okay. Once she left, he turned to look at them. "Two best friends, pregnant and murdered. Why doesn't that add up?"

"Maybe it does. The killer could have slipped up somehow and not realised that we hadn't worked out a pattern yet."

"He did it all by the book." Stuart mumbled. "He even drew a moon on her upper thigh in dried semen!" He grumbled throwing down the file.

"At least the idiot has handed his own DNA over to us." Robbie commented stealing the file and quickly flicking through the notes. The other three members of the team just stared at him for a few moments and then he cursed. "Someone else must be involved. He's not going to be prepared to hand over his semen to us, is he?"

"Nice thinking there, Ross." Jackie mumbled sarcastically and he just pulled a face behind her back while Burke stared at the board again. If Keri and Melissa were best friends there could be a high chance that their mothers would know who each of them were dating because girls tend to talk to their mothers about their friends problems rather than their own.

"Jackie, take Robbie to see Miranda. I want to know if Melissa ever told her about the boy Keri was doing." He turned to look at them. "Stuart, you and me are going to talk to Keri's parents about Melissa's secret boyfriend."

***

Arriving at the house, Jackie sighed as she turned to look at Robbie. "Miranda said that Melissa had no friends at all so where the hell does Keri come into the scene?" Robbie raised his shoulders in an uncaring shrug before reaching over and using the knocker to knock on the door. Miranda opened the door and smiled at the detectives.

"Detective Reid, what can I do for you?" She said breathlessly and it didn't take a genius to work out what she'd been doing or if it did, you could just look at the way her shirt had been buttoned up and you'd be able to work it out. Jackie just smiled at her before moving inside of the house.

"Another young girl was murdered this morning. She was a student at Melissa's school."

"We'll ask you this one more time, Miranda. Did your daughter have any friends in school?" Robbie asked as he moved to sit down on the couch and looked at the woman. "We find it hard to believe that she didn't have at least one."

"You know about Keri." Miranda finally mumbled sitting down on the couch and rubbing her hands over her face as she looked over at Jackie. "The girls wanted their friendship kept a secret. Evelyn and I told them that was a stupid idea because it meant they were embarrassed about what they shared. That's when we realised they were embarrassed by their friendship. My daughter was a freak of nature compared to the other girls in the class, Detectives. She focused on her running. Boyfriends were no interest to her." She stopped talking for a moment and laughed. "Or so we thought."

"Keri was the girl found murdered this morning, Miranda." Jackie explained sitting down next to her and watching as Miranda turned to stare at in horror. "The same MO was used as with Melissa's murder and more importantly, Keri was also pregnant."

"No..." Miranda whispered. "Melissa told me that Keri was being safe with her boyfriend and I know Melissa was worried about Keri because the boyfriend was much older than Keri. Melissa told me it was because Keri had never had a father figure in her life and she felt attracted to this guy because he'd be that figure she needed. It's like that Oedipus complex Freud stated in psychodynamic psychology. You marry someone like your father."

"Was this relationship a problem between the two girls?"

"Yes. They fell out over him and I didn't think much of it because they're always falling out and Melissa had to see her every night so it wasn't as if it could last long."

"Why did they have to see each other every night?"

"Keri's stepfather is – I mean, was – Melissa's trainer." The two detectives looked over at each other and Jackie felt a horrible kick in her stomach as she asked her next question,

"Did Melissa ever mention the boy's name?"

"No. She always referred to him as the boyfriend." There was a sound from upstairs and Miranda stood up her, hands clenching together as she smiled at the detectives. "Is that all?" Jackie nodded her head as she stood up.

"You have my card. If you remember anything, call me!" She advised leaving the house and turning to look at Robbie. "Why did her boyfriend stay upstairs?" Robbie turned to look at the upstairs windows where he could kind of see someone peeking out of the netting.

"It must have been someone who didn't want to get caught with Miranda, obviously." He commented shrugging his shoulder listening to Jackie explain she wasn't feeling good over the whole stepfather being personal trainer thing.

Meanwhile inside, Miranda had gone back upstairs to where she'd left her partner of the moment. That's when Mr. David Jenkins turned round to look at her. "What was that about?" He asked gruffly noting that neither of these detectives were Stuart.

"Another pregnant girl has been found murdered. That's three now. Why would they want to do this?" Jenkins just shrugged his shoulders as he moved away from the window and wrapped them around her. He clenched his teeth as he kissed the top of her head softly.

***

Stuart climbed out of the car at the small house and looked over his shoulder. "Sir, this isn't far away from where we found her. Why didn't they think to go look for her at the bridge?" Burke just shrugged his shoulder and knocked on the door. The woman they'd met in the station opened the door and smiled at them before opening the door so they could come in.

"Mrs Travers, did your daughter ever talk to you about Melissa?"

"Usually she didn't but then one day she told me that she'd had a boyfriend and then she told me that she'd found out Melissa had slept with him." She offered both detectives some tea but they both declined because they wanted the woman to talk now before she lost all composure. "She wasn't angry. Keri knew that it was hard for Melissa to find someone to love her and she blamed David more for what he'd done because he'd seduced Melissa into thinking that he loved her. Keri believed that David was just after 'de-flowering virgins'. Doesn't that tell you how simple minded my daughter was when it came to sex?"

The detectives remained quiet when the stepfather walked through the door. He froze when he saw the two detectives but he quickly recovered and moved forward to shake their hands. "Didn't my wife offer you any beverages?" There was an edge in his voice that Burke didn't like but he ignored it for now.

"Yes she did but we're not thirsty. We're here about your stepdaughter, Mr Travers. Is there anything you can tell us?" The unasked question of the handprint on the girl's cheek lingered between them and the man just grumbled something before starting to walk away. "I can take this down to the station if you'd prefer." The man turned back round to look at Burke.

"The girl was sleeping with a man older than I am. Do you know how that makes me feel Detective?" He growled before moving forwards the man. "Not only was he older than me, he was married with two stepchildren of his own and when he found out our baby girl was pregnant, he just threw her aside because she wasn't as important as his wife or his children. The child our daughter carried was his blood."

"Melissa was pregnant as was Maria..." Stuart mumbled and looked at Burke. "The guy was punishing these women because they were going to ruin his perfect family and by using horror books too because horror books like that used to be shunned away and women reading them were unimaginable."

"If he wants his marriage to stay perfect then he should keep his fucking prick in his pants." The stepfather growled before leaving the living room and Burke had to admit that he finally agreed with the man on something but wished he hadn't been as vulgar.

"So our suspect is a married man with two step daughters. Stuart, that's only half of Glasgow." Stuart had to agree with him there and he sighed as he ran his hands through his hair.

***

They sat back in their office and stared at the blackboard. Stuart was flicking through his notes when Gemma strolled into the office. "The paternity tests claim that the three babies had the same father meaning that your suspect was obviously sleeping with all three victims at the same time." She moved to the second set of results and went on to explain that the alleles were different and the only way that could happen was if the father was family.

"She only had one member of family and that was her stepbrother." Stuart muttered drumming his hand against the whiteboard and everyone turned to look at him. "Her parents died leaving her an orphan and her only carer was her stepbrother. Her mother had married his father when he was twenty and Maria was only a baby."

"What's the brother called?" Burke asked him and Stuart stared over at him.

"Jenkins..." Stuart mumbled flicking through his notepad for his first name. "David Jenkins." His mouth dropped and everyone turned to look at him.

"He's been under our nose all this damned time!" Burke growled leaving the office leaving Jackie to assure Stuart that it was a mistake anyone could make.

***

**AUTHORS NOTE: I think I have it summoned down to at least one chapter left!!**


	9. Closure

**AUTHORS NOTE: So I promised myself that I wouldn't do anything until I finished this case story – meaning you get two new ones in Five Years Ago and Skeletons In The Closet – because it's kind of dragged, like all my case stories too. They do say that all good things must come to an end and even if this isn't good... It's coming to an end!**

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the OC's. Anyone else noticed I seem to love the OC's more than the actual characters?! **

**DETAILS: Just Another Day is mentioned in this but that's my story NOT an episode (Y)**

*******

Stuart climbed up the steps of the terraced house, his hand clenching into fists as he thought this guy had nearly got the better of him. He'd played the role of grieving brother so beautifully that Stuart had been seduced into believing that the man had no idea, he didn't know why she would be pregnant when her fiancé was in jail or to why she'd have been murdered. The anger coursed through his body as he lightly knocked on the door. He didn't want Jenkins knowing how he felt about him just yet.

Meanwhile Burke was sat in his car just down the road, his hand throttling his steering wheel as he thought of how he had never thought that Stuart would make this kind of error again. He had forgiven him over sleeping with one of the main suspects back in the case of the murdered student but this was starting to look bad for Stuart. He'd never had these kind of errors off Stuart before and he didn't know why they were happening now! He just sighed as he looked over at the other end of the street where Jackie and Robbie were sat in their car. He expected it off them too. Jackie wore her heart on her sleeve and was easily led into believing that someone was innocent and then Robbie was just too lazy to actually read the facts. He sighed as he shook his head. He sure had a useful team!

The front door opened by a pretty brunette girl but her face was tear stained and Stuart quietly flashed his badge, holding his finger against his lips. He could hear screaming upstairs and he didn't even want to think what was happening. He could hear a man shouting angrily and he suspected that Jenkins was either shouting at his wife or the other daughter. He slowly crept up the stairs, his hand reaching for his gun as he kicked open the door and aimed his gun squarely at Jenkins.

Jenkins' trousers were pooled at his ankles and the other daughter was curled up in the corner, her hands trembling as she tried to hide her face away from Stuart but he could see the handprint mark across one of her cheeks. She looked grateful for Stuart arriving when he did and Stuart also felt as if he had arrived at the right time. He was pretty sure that his wife was unaware of what he was doing to her daughters and he felt like putting a bullet into the man's brain as he stood there pointing his gun at him but he also knew that would just as much sign his own death certificate because no officer could be trigger happy. It would always cost someone and it would probably cost either him or the Boss and the boss was mad enough without any more ammunition.

"Sit down on the bed and put your hands out where I can see them." He ordered his gun never straying as he felt his heart racing. He really should have called for back-up but his concentration on was making sure that this son of a bitch went to prison. If he turned his back for a single second, his suspect would probably tear out of the room and wouldn't be seen again and Stuart wasn't about to let that happen. His gun stayed focused as the man sat down on the bed, his hands moving slowly down his thigh before ceasing to rest on his knees. "You're under the arrest for the murders of Melissa Underwood, Maria Jenkins and Keri Travers." He looked over at the crying girl. "And for the attempted rape of your step-daughter."

"I wouldn't rape Louisa and she knows that." He turned to look at her, his eyes cold as he glared into her eyes. Stuart could see the fear escaping her. "And even if it was, she wouldn't tell anyone about it. Would you, darling?" He growled and Stuart watched as the girl started to cry louder as if she knew what he said was true.

"Look at me!" Stuart barked aiming his gun at the man, his finger lightly teasing the trigger and Stuart had never felt such temptation to squeeze in his life. He went to his belt to unhook his handcuffs. "We have some talking to do in the police station."

"Detective, you know full well there will be no talking. It'll be an interrogation."

"And I don't even think you'll be lucky enough to have me being the one who does the talking." Stuart explained handcuffing one wrist and pulling him up gently so that he didn't get hurt even though Stuart wanted to omit some form of pain to the brute. He pulled the hand round to his back and clicked the other one in place.

Jenkins turned to look back at him, "I speak to only you." He said and his voice had an air of a threat about it and Stuart felt himself want to buckle underneath it. Instead he just sneered and pushed Jenkins towards the door before indicating for the daughter to follow him.

*******

The girl had been rushed to the hospital and Stuart had asked the boss for permission to go with her. The permission had been granted and that was why Stuart was there to hold her hand as they took swabs from her. She'd asked him to join her because she didn't want her mother to see her going through this. When Mrs Jenkins had been informed about what had been happening in her house while she was away at work, she had been devastated and Stuart was unsure he'd ever seen a woman look so disgusted in herself let alone another person!

He held her hand as she was tested on and he saw tears force themselves free from her eyes that had been clenched shut. He stroked back her hair and shook his head, "You have nothing to worry about."

"What if my mother thinks I seduced him into doing it? She really loves him, Detective." She whispered and Stuart heard the vulnerability that all young girls feel towards their mother nad he knew that if her mother felt that then there was no reason she should cry because she was better off without her mum but he couldn't say that to her so he just shook his head.

"I don't think she'll see it like that, sweetheart. She's just happy that it's over now." He promised and saw her mother stood at the door, her hand strangling the tissue in her hand and he thought that he wouldn't be too surprised if she wasn't imagining it was David Jenkins neck.

*******

It had been two hours since he'd arrived at the hospital with Anne-Marie. The doctors said that the tests showed that she had been sexually abused and the fingerprint marks on her inner thigh were also consistent of those to an older man that had forced her to stay still. Stuart hadn't even wanted to think about how many hours of abuse Anne-Marie had gone through but he was grateful that there was evidence to keep him locked away. He was now on his way to the station when his phone rang and he answered it with his usual monotonous way of, "Fraser." He listened for a few moments before nodding.

*******

Stuart walked into the interrogation room holding a cup of coffee and two case files. He sat the case files upside down on the table so that the man couldn't read what was on them. Jenkins' lawyer looked at him lazily before leaning over to whisper something in his client's ear. Stuart sat down and took a sip of his coffee. He was taking tips of Robbie here and he hoped they pulled off. Eventually Jenkins nodded and smiled at Stuart, "This is Detective Stuart Fraser."

"I don't know if I should feel honoured or scared that you asked for me to be your interrogator."

"Or should I feel scared because I know you now have a strong hatred for me because I nearly harmed my step-daughter." Stuart took off one of the elastic bands off the files because he didn't want to summit to his temptation to let Jenkins' jaw make an acquaintance with his fist. He fiddled with it before shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't have a strong hatred towards you, I'm just curious."

"About what?"

"You have a beautiful wife but you knock up three other women and then you attack your own step-daughter. Was your wife not enough?"

"You don't have any evidence that my client murdered the three women, Detective." The lawyer pointed out and Stuart nodded his head before putting down the elastic band and taking a drink of his coffee.

"You're paying good money for this lawyer, Mr Jenkins." Stuart merely commented before opening one of the files and sliding out a picture of Maria Jenkins. "It must of upset you having to kill, Maria. You were like a father to your step-sister, weren't you Mr Jenkins?"

"If I had killed her, it would have killed me inside because she was my life. She was like the daughter I'll never have. She was all the family I had in the world." Stuart silently applauded the man's Oscar performance there but he knew now not to surrender into it anymore so he just nodded.

"She was just your step-sister though? Why didn't you throw her aside?"

"My father loved her mother and raised Maria as if he was his own. Why should I have been any different and it wasn't as if I grew up in the house. I was just the older brother that occasionally popped round with pretty presents for her."

"When was the first time you slept with Maria?" The lawyer told Jenkins that he didn't need to answer that question but Jenkins' gaze never left the challenging gaze of Stuart's and he just grinned.

"She was sixteen. I was thirty six. It wasn't wrong of us. She was of age." Stuart applauded the man's mentioning their of the law and just shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm glad you waited but didn't it feel weird sleeping with a woman that had been raised as your sister?"

"What is the point of this..." but the lawyer was interrupted by Jenkins stating,

"Maria wasn't my sister. Her mother was at the late stages of pregnancy with her when she met my father. My mother died only three months earlier but I didn't batter an eyelid because I realised dad needed to move on and he genuinely seemed to be in love with Maria's mother."

"Your father was having an affair with Maria's mother, David." Stuart simply said taking out a piece of paper and showing him the resources. "The alleles to the baby carried by Maria was similar to the other ones on the paternity side but the genetics on this shows that it was a close family relative that had fathered the child and you have already told me that you're here only living relative."

David Jenkins stared at him in horror before reaching out to read the piece of paper, his eyes wide in disbelief as he thought through if this could be a lie to get him to confess. Stuart sensed this and pulled out his mobile. "If you want I could get our forensic scientist to run through and swab your mouth so that we could match your DNA to Maria's?" David stared at him for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Are you going to talk to me now or are we going to continue these fun and games?"

"I was dating the three of them at the same time. My wife is beautiful as you said but she was no fun in the sack and I needed that thrill. The thrill only really came from having an affair and then having three affairs at the same time," he paused as if reminiscing, "guys can normally only just dream about that. I had two hot school girls falling out over me but the real thrill was that I knew my half-sister loved me and was jealous of my beautiful wife. I didn't mean for them all to get pregnant and definitely not at the same time. The two girls were happy with the idea of an abortion but Maria wasn't. She wanted me to leave my wife and marry her. She was determined that we could be a happy family. She believed her fiancé hated her because he'd run out but I knew the truth and I sure as hell wasn't going to let her know that. She loved me and I did love her but what we had was supposed to be a secret. Brothers and sisters can't just be seen dating each other. The thrill of our relationship was having illegal sex away from everyone's prying eyes but she wanted to make it public. She wouldn't budge with a money bribe or even the idea that if she had an abortion I would discuss the matter with her. It was as if she knew that I was bluffing.

'I realised that the only way to get rid of her was to have her disappear. The two girls had told me that they'd had their abortions and that they were happy to move on. That made me happier than you'll ever believe but they lied to me. You said they were both still pregnant. I didn't know this but I knew enough about them to know that if they were to die you would never look at me. You'd think it was some random horror fanatic going insane. It would have probably stumped you if the two girls weren't still pregnant. It hurt me killing Melissa because she's such an innocent. I only slept with her once and it was her first time... How heartbreaking is that for her?'

'I remember watching her shower, her hands washing over her wet body and I remembered how she had allowed my tongue to do that. I was literally erotically aroused as I smashed her head against that wall," he fell silent again and looked at Stuart, his eyes showing a little remorse but Stuart knew that he only regretted getting caught, "would it help if I told you that I cried like a bitch that night after killing Melissa? I was so shocked that I had actually done it."

"No it doesn't help. I want you to know that you've deliberately ruined the lives of four people by murdering their daughters just so they could be pawns in your cruel game."

"Their lives would have been ruined anyway because teenage mothers aren't socially acceptable."

"Neither are murderers or rapists and you appear to be both of them."

"Anne-Marie won't..." He stopped talking when Stuart pulled out Anne-Marie's signed confession. David Jenkins went bright red before shaking his head.

"I refuse to talk anymore."

"You don't need to talk anymore. I think we have enough." Stuart explained putting the piece of paper back in his folder then standing up and without one word, he left the interrogation room but stopped as Jenkins shouted after him,

"You think you've cracked this case but what if Anne-Marie is pregnant?"

"You won't be able to hurt her."

"Of course I can. You don't have any concrete evidence." Stuart moved back into the room and put his files down so that he could rest on the palms of his hands and lean over him, a silly smile playing at his mouth.

"Do you remember the story you did on Keri Travers?"

"I read them all so I should think so..." He muttered not sure if he knew where Stuart was going with this.

"What did you use to draw the moon on her thigh?" He asked seriously and Jenkins went to answer but his eyes opened wider as he turned to look at his lawyer as if he realised there was no getting out of this one. "Your DNA is all over her leg and seeing as the book was a trait that only the killer and the police knew about..." He stood up, gathering the files in his arms and smiled sweetly at the bastard. "I think we have plenty of evidence to make sure you never see a glimpse at sunlight again," was his parting shot as he left the interrogation room.

*******

"We got a signed confession!" Robbie cried as he moved over to give Stuart a man. "Hell hath no fury like a gay man scorned!" He teased gently before nodding his head. "You did a good job, Stuart."

"Thank you, Robbie."

"When did you get Anne-Marie to write a statement?" Jackie asked from her chair, her fingers playing with her pencil as she stared at the boys. Robbie was now wearing a foolish grin whereas Stuart's ears had started to tinge red.

"She told me she would write one but I didn't have time to get her to write and sign it." He took hold of his file and handed it to Jackie. "It's just the piece of paper we were doodling on all day. The signature at the bottom..."

"is mine." Jackie laughed as she ended his sentence. "You're getting even stronger as a detective every day, Stuart!" She congratulated before grabbing hold of her coat. "I think we should go to the pub to celebrate!"

"You're such an alcoholic."

"No, an alcoholic attends meetings." She teased right back and Robbie just laughed before taking hold of her hand, "Are you coming Stuart?" She asked as they reached the door and realised that he hadn't moved yet.

"I have other plans."

"We're being blown off for the love of his life, Robbie."

"Well I'd complain but that means I get to spend the evening alone with a beautiful woman." She just laughed before waving goodbye to Stuart. He heard them flirting all the way down to the stairs and he couldn't help but laugh.

*******

Standing next to her, he held her hand and smiled. "Are you ready for this?" He asked her and she nodded her head. They both turned to look at the doctor. He grinned at her and smiled, "Congratulations. You're pregnant." The young girl just smiled weakly, took hold of her coat and walked out. Stuart was right behind her, his arms wrapping around her as he whispered that everything would be okay.

He had done the one thing that detectives were told not to do. He had got involved.

*******

**AUTHORS NOTE: There you have it. The end of Stranger Than Fiction. Thank you for following this story and reviewing it because that makes me all tingly inside. I'll see you at mine or your next chapter!**


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